Download - Technical Communication
Jessica M. Scully
writer / editor / writing [email protected]
Technical CommunicationImportance and challenges
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Technical communication skills matter for you now and in the future
Your grade in this class
Your grades in future classes
Getting a job
Technical communication skills matter for the public
Why is this presentation important?
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How well you communicate affects your career
Survey (Richard M. Davis) Successful engineers spent 25% of work week writing
Survey (Virginia Tech) Recruiters claim that engineers need more work on their writing
Survey (Wisconsin) Professional engineers found writing their most useful subject in college
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Scientific writing differs from other kinds of writing
Subject Matter Writing Constraints
audience
purpose
occasion
Purpose of Writing
To inform
To persuade
[Franklin, 1952]
Writing Style
[Peterson, 1987]
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Scientists and engineers are called upon to communicate in many different situations
specifictechnicalaudiences
non-technicalaudiences
generaltechnicalaudiences
ReportsArticlesProposalsWeb Pages
ConferencesLecturesMeetingsPosters
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Structure in technical writing
All documents have a beginning, middle, and end
Each part has a specific function Length of each part varies by topic, format, and
occasion
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Beginnings include Title or subject line (should be precise) Abstract, Executive Summary, or Summary Introduction
Middles of documents include A clear and logical explanation of the topic
Endings include Discussion and/or Conclusion
Sections of Documents
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Sample memo (http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/workbooks/memo-report.html)
Sample short lab report (http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/workbooks/labreport2.html)
Sample longer lab report http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/workbooks/labreport.html
Sample research report (ESC – UC Irvine)
Sample Documents
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Formats vary by constraints
Specific formats
Lab reports
Journal articles
Progress reports
Format in technical writing
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Style in technical writing Varies by constraints Formal documents do not use contractions
(don’t, can’t) First person (I, we) sometimes not used Work completed may be described in a specific
tense. Follow your instructor’s requirements. If not specified, use past.
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Writing for the correct constraints (e.g., correct level of formality)
Writing logically and following a clear structure Following the correct/expected format Writing clearly and directly (includes grammar
and punctuation)
Common challenges in technical writing
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Lack of parallelism Subject-verb agreement Dangling modifiers Unclear pronoun reference Wordiness Use of colon and semicolon
Common problems in grammar and punctuation
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Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students (www.writing.engr.psu.edu). Includes info on technical writing with samples and exercises
Purdue University’s Owl (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/). Includes grammar and punctuation handouts and exercises. Also has info on technical writing (e.g., http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/03/)
Monash University (www.eng.monash.edu.au/current-students/comm-learning.html). Detailed resources for writing in engineering.
Resources for more information
